This is a continuation of a campaign that started in the spring of 2014. The Big Bang Theory and other shows vanished from streaming websites as the government started exercising more control over the Internet side of television.

Industry-watchers say it signals a change in attitude from China's regulators. For years, Western studios had enjoyed profitable partnerships with Chinese providers and rabid demand for TV drama content.

Now the government has started censoring entire seasons of popular shows at a time to suppress anything "that might challenge the authority of the ruling Communist Party." Earlier this month, it announced plans to extend similar censorship rules from streaming to foreign feature films.

One analyst told Fortune, "It's going to be tough for foreign content in the coming years."

Exhibit A: new rules requiring all foreign content be registered for broadcast with a streaming license on a show-by-show basis. Those rules will take effect April 1.